South Asia
Violent clashes between Afghan forces and the Taliban resumed after the end of a three-day long ceasefire declared by the Taliban for Eid. Two clashes occurred on Wednesday, which led to the death of ten insurgents. [Wion]
Following an informal meeting between Indian and Nepali officials on Tuesday, the two sides agreed to “maintain status quo” in the “No Man’s Land” region in the bordering areas in Uttarakhand. [New Indian Express]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry released a statement on Thursday that it has begun the next step of “large-scale joint tactical exercises” with Turkey as a part of an existing bilateral military agreement that is allegedly not related to recent attacks by Armenia. [Daily Sabah]
East and Southeast Asia
Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu travelled to London this week to negotiate trade deals before Britain leaves the EU. The two countries said that progress was made towards a comprehensive free trade deal and that they are committed to getting a deal in place by the end of this year. [Japan Today]
Powered by demands for lockdown goods, Chinese exports saw a surge. China’s export growth exceeded projections in July, with outbound shipments up 7.2 % from a year earlier. [SCMP]
Europe
134 Iraqis departed from Greece in “the biggest voluntary return” of migrants. These flights are a part of a European Union-funded scheme aimed at relieving the pressure faced by Greece, from where most migrants enter the EU. The scheme also offers $2,400 per individual as an incentive to return. [Al Jazeera]
Poland’s conservative President, Andrzej Duda, was sworn in for his second five-year term on Thursday, after winning 51.03% of the vote in the July 12 election. [Voice of America]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
United States’ top envoy to Iran, Brian Hook, announced a surprise departure from the administration just as Washington plans to rally the international community to extend the United Nations arms blockade against Tehran, which has faced international opposition in light of the pandemic. [The Washington Post]
Saad al-Jabri, a former Saudi intelligence authority who has been exiled in Canada for three years, has accused the Kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of plotting his murder by sending a hit-squad soon after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. [BBC]
North America
US President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Thursday that will ban Chinese social media apps TikTok and WeChat from operating in the US if they are not sold within the next 45 days. [CNN]
Democratic and Republican senators introduced legislation on Thursday that would amend the Arms Export Control Act, and prohibit international sales of US-made drones to countries that are not close US allies—especially Saudi Arabia. [Al Jazeera]
Oceania
Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has criticized Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ government for not being transparent over a rising number of coronavirus cases in the state, with some federal sources describing the actions of the state as “almost obstructive”. [news.com.au]
Sub-Saharan Africa
South African Finance Minister Tito Mboweni's department is refusing to release the names of companies that have flouted pricing rules on personal protective equipment (PPE), many of whom have close ties to the government. [Mail & Guardian]
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed two special envoys to Zimbabwe amid calls for African countries to hold the Zimbabwean government for silencing political opposition and activists. [Government of South Africa]
World News Monitor: 7 August, 2020
A quick look at events from around the globe.
August 7, 2020
